1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming device which is capable of performing an interruption process, and a program and recording medium for use in the image forming device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an image forming device, such as a printer, when a different printing request is received during execution of a print job, a new print job corresponding to the printing request is performed after all the previously accepted print jobs are completed. To allow the new print job to be performed immediately, it is necessary to cancel the previously accepted print jobs the execution of which is incomplete. Therefore, it is demanded that priority be given to a designated print job and the designated print job with the priority be executed without canceling the previously accepted print jobs.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-118209 discloses a job management device in which a high priority is given to a job of a special kind to enable the job of the special kind to be executed preferentially over individual jobs with their priority. In this job management device, a plurality of jobs are managed, and this job management device includes a priority job designating unit which designates priority jobs which are preferentially performed over individual jobs, and a highest priority job registering unit which registers a job of a special kind to which a high priority over the priority jobs designated by the priority job designating unit is given.
The job management device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-118209 is able to change the sequence of execution of the jobs by assigning priority to each job. However, the practical image forming device has a difficulty in interrupting the in-progress execution of image expansion of a PDL (page description language) print job in order to start a PDL interpretation process of a different print job.
Moreover, in many cases, a PDL module is supplied as an optional component of an image forming device, and there may be a case in which the interruption process is not supported by PDL modules of some previous versions. In addition, the practical image forming device operates under various restrictions and there may be a case in which performing the interruption process immediately is difficult due to the restrictions.